365 Days of Defiance, Day 350: Defiance, Oh Yeah! (Today in Comics History, December 16, 1773)

Gather 'round, children, and Unca Bully will tell y'all a tale of a brave, fearless soft drink mixture who saved American democracy on this very day in 1773. (picks up my banjo, starts to strum) Aw, dang it, I don't know how to play the banjo.

Anyway, today's the day, 245 years ago and a universe two or three steps to the right, when liquid hombre Kool-Aid Man and his posse of kids that were suspiciously not his own arrived in 1773 and set about seeing about a thing or two about a thing or two.


from "Thirst in Time" in The Adventures of Kool-Aid Man #2 (Marvel, 1984), script by Jim Salicrup, pencils by Dan DeCarlo, inks by Jim DeCarlo, colors by Ken Feduniewicz and Judi Higgins, letters by Gaspar Saladino
You know, Kool-Aid Man, you are filled to the brim with delicious cooling, refreshing liquid. Did it not occur to you to let one of the great fathers of our country sip heartily at you and quench his revolutionary thirst? No. It did not. Also: why does Kool-Aid Man always carry a smaller version of himself? And how does he ride a horse one-handed? Answer: pretty well, actually.


Another good question: "Father, why are you eighty years older than us?"


Kool-Aid Man: Timecop! And did you ever think, LL Kool A, that it wasn't the best of ideas breaking a big-ass hole in the side of a boat?


Here's somthin' you don't see every day: an anthropomorphic representation of the sensation of thirst having a sabre duel with the mascot of a Kraft Foods product on the deck of a Colonial-era transport ship. Not even in an Alan Moore comic do you see that. Well, okay, that one issue of Promethea.


Of course, for history to be returned to its proper course, the Boston Tea Party must continue as it originally did, so it's a grand thing that Kool-Aid Man captured the Thirsties. Surely this will not affect American history at all, what with the historical accounts of the giant red liquid orb who assisted the American Revolution in its bold cause. And yes, kids, that is why Kool-Aid Man is on the front of the quarter.


And now it's off to save John F. Kennedy from getting thirsty on his drive through Dallas! Good luck, ya big cherry-flavored lug!


And so Kool-Aid finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap...will be the leap through a wall home.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 349: Nuts to you, Nazis

Panels from X-Men: Grand Design #1 (February 2018); script, pencils, inks, colors, and letters by Ed Piskor

365 Days of Defiance, Day 348: Every year this comic treasury becomes more and more vital

Panels from Marvel Treasury Special featuring Captain America's Bicentennial Battles #1 (September 1976), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by John Verpoorten, colors by Phil Rachelson, letters by John Costanza

365 Days of Defiance, Day 347: I believe in miracles

Mr. Miracle! The world's greatest escape artist! Incredible defier of odds! Opponent to the evil Darkseid! Created by Jack Kirby! Member of the Justice L

NO NO NO START AGAIN

Because this Mr. Miracle has no relation to the Scott Free version we all know and love ('specially Big Barda!) and is a lont-out-of-copyright and he'd-need-a-new-name anyway mystery man, once again from the pages of the tremendously defiant Captain Fearless Comics, which I've spotlighted here and here with the heroes respectively known as Citizen Smith and Diamond Jim (but really Lana). How powerful is this sorta-Spectreque mystic hero? Why, he wears a green suit, that's how.


Panels from the "Mr. Miracle" story in Captain Fearless Comics #2 (Temerson/Helnit/Continental, September 1941), pencils by Ray Willner

365 Days of Defiance, Day 346: I want your Skrulls / I need your Skrulls

Panels from Black Panther (2005 series) #41 (November 2008), script by Jason Aaron, pencils and inks by Jefte Palo, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Cory Petit

365 Days of Defiance, Day 345: God would like us to be joyful even when our hearts lie panting on the floor

Hey Bully! (you might be thinking just about now) How come you've posted so many panels from comic books that show defiance in the face of danger or despair, and you have never once shown us Rust Cohle from the 2014 season one finale of "True Detective" defiantly mouthing off "L’chaim, fatass?"

And that's a very good question. The main reason, of course, is that I took the oath of the official Union of Comics Bloggers (Mike Sterling, President since 1969) to never mention Matthew McConaughey on a comics blog, or especially to reference the so-called "McConaissance" of the 2010s. Since y'all have ruined that by asking a question about one of Mister McConaughey's starring roles, I guess I'm technically not in violation of that ruling, but just know that I have to appear at the end of the month before a jury of my peers to defend my reference. I hope you're happy with yourselves.

Anyway, it's common and canon knowledge that Rust Cohle is a fervent fan of Daredevil comics, because, sure, who isn't? And as I like to say around these here parts

COMICS DID IT FIRST!

Panels from Daredevil (1998 series) #46 (June 2003), script by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and inks by Alex Maleev, colors by Matt Hollingsworth, letters by Cory Petit
So there. I have run rings round you logically. And McConaughicly.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 344: Justice League Assemble

Earlier in this year-long (plus) series about rebellion, revolution and jus' plain defiance, I've posted several panels from issues of Grant Morrison's JLA, which is one of my absolute fav'rites and which I consider to be just about the quintessential example of "the" perfect comic book. (Give or take Morrison not being able to use Hawkman.) I've especially pointed you to moments of EXTREME! Defiance in JLA #41: Aztek makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Earth, and Zauriel rallies the hosts of Heaven (all right, I admit it, Hawkman couldn'ta done that). Yes, I particularly love Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7, and to be sure Legion of Super-Heroes #294 has so much defying in it I had to do multiple posts about it, but even though it's a double issue, I think JLA #41 pound for pound has a measurably greater hero-per-defiance ratio than any comic book published. You know it's true, because I went to my local deli and tied up their precision scales for about half an hour weighing comic books. Which is why my copy of JLA #41 smells like pastrami now, and you know what? That only makes it better.


Panels from JLA #41 (May 2000), script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Howard Porter, inks by Drew Geraci, colors by Pat Garrahy, color separations by Heroic Age, letters by Ken Lopez
Well, that's exciting: Wonder Woman is leading a group of superheroes to fight against the cosmic menace of Mageddon, the menace so powerful it didn't even need to add an "Ar" to the beginning of its name. So how many heroes you got backing you up there, Wondy? A dozen? A baker's dozen? A little bull's dozen? (18.)

Nope. How about...

EVERYBODY.

(Click picture to all together now-size)

We do mean EVERYBODY, not just heroes. There's pretty much super-powered humans from all over earth here! And if'n you look closely, I you can even see me, punching out a mini-Mageddon! Hurt my hoof a little but Wonder Woman gave it a kiss afterwards to make it all better, so it was all worth it.

I promised you, the last time I talked about JLA #41, that I was holding the "big one" in reserve from that issue. Here it is.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 343: Hangry Like the Wolf

Today's Day of Defiance comes at the suggestion of Bountiful Bully Booster Matthew Elmslie, who submitted several excellent moments of standing up against greater odds, only a handful of which you'll see this final month of the series. Matthew run the excellent blog Legion Abstract, which is absolutely essential if you're a fan (and who isn't?) of the Legion of Super-Heroes. And yes, I've finally added it to my sidebar of favorite blogs, because it really is as essential to the fandom of super-teens 1,000 years in the future as a flight ring and a McCauley Omnicom.

The set-up: one Legionnaire against the entire Fatal Five doesn't seem like a fair fight even it it were Mon-El or Ultra Boy or even the most powerful Legionnaire, Matter-Eater Lad. But how bad are the odds when that Legionnaire is Timber Wolf? Uh oh. Space Vegas is not even taking any more bets on this one, it's so overmatched. Can Brin Londo* (Timber Wolf's real name, and I didn't even have to look that up) stand up to the sheer quintuple power of the FF? Let's see, shall we?






Panels from The Legion (2001 series) #16 (March 2003), script by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, pencils by Kev Walker, inks by Andy Lanning and Al Milgrom, colors by Jason Wright, color separations by Digital Chameleon, letters by Comicraft
Well, that's not good. But I love his defiant- and determined-to-the-last attitude. That's gotta be part of why they admitted TW into the Legion. "I like his spunk!" said Cosmic Boy. "Spunk. I hate spunk." said Brainiac 5.

Anyway, Brin isbn't done for, because the very next page features one of my favorite tropes in comics, ever: the team arrives just in the nick of time.


Just as an aside, man, I miss Jeckie as a snake.

Anyway, we salute you, Timber Wolf! We thank you, Matthew Elmslie! Long live the Legion (and Legion Abstract), and keep on Timber Wolfin'!

365 Days of Defiance, Day 342: The Last Stand of Johnny Storm

Panels from Fantastic Four #587 (March 2011); script by Jonathan Hickman; pencils by Steve Epting; inks by Rick Magyar, Mike Perkins, and Steve Epting; colors by Paul Mounts; letters by Rus Wooton

365 Days of Defiance, Day 341: Take a long, hard look down the road you will have to travel

Panels from March Book 2 (January 2015), script by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin; pencils, inks, and letters by Nate Powell
“Take a long, hard look down the road you will have to travel once you have made a commitment to work for change. Know that this transformation will not happen right away. Change often takes time. It rarely happens all at once. In the movement, we didn't know how history would play itself out. When we were getting arrested and waiting in jail or standing in unmovable lines on the courthouse steps, we didn’t know what would happen, but we knew it had to happen.

Use the words of the movement to pace yourself. We used to say that ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part. And if we believe in the change we seek, then it is easy to commit to doing all we can, because the responsibility is ours alone to build a better society and a more peaceful world." — US Representative John Lewis, Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America

365 Days of Defiance, Day 340: "The bell of man’s inhumanity to man does not toll for any one man. It tolls for you, for me, for all of us."

Panels from King: A Comics Biography graphic novel (February 2010); script, pencils, inks, and letters by Ho Che Anderson

365 Days of Defiance, Day 339: "The only weapon that we have in our hands this evening is the weapon of protest." (Today in Comics History, December 5, 1955)

from Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story one-shot giveaway (Fellowship of Reconciliation, 1958), script by Benton Resnick, art by artists in the Al Capp Organization, letters by John Duffy

365 Days of Defiance, Day 338: Kids come running for the great lessons of Superman

1950s school poster created and distributed by DC Comics, art believed to be by Wayne Boring (or Win Mortimer?)
You can read more about this poster on the DC Comics Blog and on Buzzfeed and Mental Floss

365 Days of Defiance, Day 337: You don't have to live like a refugee

Here's another DC PSA that lays it on the line, Superman-style: prejudice and bigotry have no part in our modern civilization, and the way to battle that is understanding and acceptance of refugees. What, you gonna go against Superman's advice?


"Superman Says: Lend a Friendly Hand!" from The Flash (1959 series) #114 (August 1960), script by Jack Schiff (?), pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye, letters by Ira Schnapp

365 Days of Defiance, Day 336: Batman Explains It All for You

"Batman and Robin Stand Up for Sportsmanship!" from Batman (1940 series) #57 (February-March 1950), script by Jack Schiff, pencils and inks by Win Mortimer, letters by Ira Schnapp
Especially pay attention to this part! It was true in 1950, and it's true in 2018!:


So who ya gonna believe...racists?...or Batman?!?

365 Days of Defiance, Day 335: You tell 'em, Wonder Woman

"The Conscience of Man" — in the form of a beautiful transparent fairy, as good a form as any — has spent the last 50 pages sending the Justice Society of America throughout time striving to put right what once went wrong to battle the violent fear and prejudice of mankind throughout the ages. "I promised you a reward," girl with wings but sometimes not says, "Perhaps you already know what it is. You have earned it, and by earning it, you have attained the solution to your problem — it is understanding!" Which, in addition to being a pretty good albeit oft-forgotten Bob Seger song, is also the lesson du jour for fighting against bigotry and prejudice.



Panels from "The Test of Time!: Conclusion" in All-Star Comics (1940 series) #22 (Fall 1944), script by Gardner Fox, pencils and inks by Joe Gallagher
So say we all!